Premier Steven Marshall said his government was instead in the process of developing a "state-wide plan with a series defined outcomes for Aboriginal people across areas including education, child protection, health and jobs".

"Treaty commissioner Roger Thomas has provided advice to the incoming government regarding the positives and negatives of the treaty consultation," Mr Marshall, who is also Aboriginal Affairs Minister, said.

"While the new government is not continuing with the treaty process, we are committed to continuing our discussions with Aboriginal communities about the implementation of our Aboriginal affairs policy."

The previous Labor government announced that it would enter treaty discussions with Aboriginal nations in 2016.

It appointed senior Aboriginal community leader Roger Thomas as treaty commissioner last year and in February the government signed an agreement with the Yorke Peninsula's Narungga people as the state's first step towards a treaty with an Aboriginal group.

In April this year, Mr Marshall, as incoming premier, asked Mr Thomas to prepare a report on his consultation.

Report suggested way for government to proceed

Mr Thomas today said that Aboriginal people had told him they were keen to start a conversation on a treaty but "overwhelmingly" preferred to negotiate separately as nations rather than collectively.

A "massive amount of work" had been put in by Aboriginal people towards a treaty, he said.

He said the Premier had done "very, very little consultation" on the issue.

"To decide unilaterally without consultation to not go ahead with the most important reform process in Aboriginal affairs that we're undertaking, I think there will be a lot of anger and it will be very difficult for the new government to operate with Aboriginal communities … letting them down in this way," he said.